2000
#67,113
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 275
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Falana
A surname possibly derived from an Arabic word meaning "radiant" or "shining".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 485 Americans carry the last name Falana. That puts it at #52,889 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 706,710 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Falana surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Falana with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
485
1 in 706,710
Census rank
#52,889
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
423
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 423 bearers of the surname Falana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52889th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Falana, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.9%. The next largest groups are White (24.6%) and Hispanic (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Falana
The surname FALANA has its origins in West Africa, specifically in the Yoruba-speaking regions of present-day Nigeria. It is believed to have originated during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Yoruba word "afa," which means "fortune" or "destiny," and the suffix "-na," which is a possessive marker indicating ownership or belonging.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the FALANA surname can be found in the archives of the ancient Oyo Empire, which was a prominent Yoruba kingdom that existed from the 14th to the 19th century. These records mention individuals bearing the name, suggesting that it was already in use during that time period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Falana Oluwole was a prominent military leader and advisor to the Alaafin (the ruler) of the Oyo Empire. He played a significant role in the expansion and consolidation of the empire's territories during that era.
As the Yoruba people migrated and established communities across different regions of West Africa, the FALANA surname spread along with them. In the 18th century, a wealthy merchant named Falana Akinbobola was known for his extensive trading networks and influence in the coastal regions of present-day Benin Republic.
During the 19th century, a prominent scholar and educator named Falana Adetoun made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of Yoruba language and culture. He authored several works and established one of the first formal schools in the region dedicated to teaching Yoruba traditions.
Another notable individual with the FALANA surname was Falana Ogunbona, a renowned traditional healer and herbalist who lived in the late 19th century. His expertise in traditional Yoruba medicine was widely sought after, and his techniques were passed down through generations.
It is important to note that while the FALANA surname is rooted in the Yoruba culture of West Africa, over time it has spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply connected to the Yoruba people and their rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Falana
Among Census respondents with the surname Falana, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.9%. The next largest groups are White (24.6%) and Hispanic (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Falana bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Falana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American66.9% · 283
- White24.6% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 26
- Two or more races1.4% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Falana
Falana appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#58,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 347
+72 bearers (+26.2%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 8,632 places
2020
#52,889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 423
+76 bearers (+21.9%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 5,592 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #67,113 | 275 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #58,481 | 347 | 0.12 | +72 bearers (+26.2%) | Up 8,632 places |
| 2020 | #52,889 | 423 | 0.14 | +76 bearers (+21.9%) | Up 5,592 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Falana surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #58,481 | #52,889 | 9.6% |
| Count | 347 | 423 | 21.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.14 | 17.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Falana bearers went from 347 to 423 (+21.9% change). The surname moved up 5,592 positions in the national ranking, going from #58,481 to #52,889.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Falana
FAQ
Falana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Falana?
Name Census estimates that about 485 living Americans carry the surname Falana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 706,710 residents.
How common is Falana?
Falana ranks #52,889 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 423 people with the surname Falana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (485), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Falana.
Has Falana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Falana went from 347 recorded bearers to 423. That is an increase of 76 (+21.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #58,481 to #52,889.
What does the Census say about the background of Falana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Falana, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.9%. The next largest groups are White (24.6%) and Hispanic (6.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Falana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.9% (283 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Falana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (66.9%), White (24.6%), Hispanic (6.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Falana (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Falana mean?
A surname possibly derived from an Arabic word meaning "radiant" or "shining". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Falana (0.14 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Falana?
See how many people are called Falana on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.